Dear friends,

Despite the challenges we face doing this work, I continue to find rays of hope in Hamoked’s work. Today, I share with you one family’s story that underscores our stubborn insistence on fighting for justice and human rights.

In 2012, three East Jerusalem siblings, aged 7, 6 and 3, lost their father to cancer. Their father died while waging via HaMoked a legal battle to have his East Jerusalem status reinstated after it was revoked. The siblings were soon adopted by their paternal uncle, after their mother remarried and moved back to the West Bank. However, they have no legal status in the city of their birth (or anywhere else). For the past ten years, first the uncle, then HaMoked, litigated relentlessly on the children’s behalf, to have them granted residency status. Last week, we received a positive ruling from the Court granting the children immediate temporary status and opening the door for a potential upgrade, recognizing their eligibility for this status.

In addition to this heartwarming success, I am gratified to share a development in our ongoing battle against the discriminatory Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law. In response to our litigation, the Ministry of Interior amended the law such that women over 40, who have been in family unification processes for over a decade, will now be eligible for temporary residency, benefiting around 1,300 families. Moreover, the Law will no longer apply to individuals registered in the Palestinian population registry who have never lived in the oPt. While these changes are welcome, we maintain our commitment to challenging the Law's discriminatory nature and continue our petition to have it entirely revoked, as it serves a fundamentally unjust purpose.

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Some people might dismiss these achievements as a drop in the bucket, just one family overcoming one small bureaucratic hurdle. However, as a Palestinian born and raised in East Jerusalem, I understand firsthand the vital importance of Jerusalem residency for these families: it grants them the ability to secure employment, access health insurance, and maintain a life of dignity.

We thank you for your ongoing support, which enables us to fight for the rights of individuals and families in their most challenging moments. Together, we can make a difference, one case at a time.

With gratitude and hope,
Areen Touma
Development Director of HaMoked